No More Condoms? Male Birth Control Gel In Development

An Indian scientist has developed a form of birth control to be used on men. Called “Reversible Inhibition of Sperm Under Guidance,” the contraceptive comes in the form of a gel which is injected into the pathway that transports sperm.

The gel can last for 10 to 15 years. During that time it both reduces the number of sperm making the trip, and also physically disables the ones that do make it safely through the passageway.

A big part of what makes the drug so promising is that, unlike a vasectomy, the procedure is fully reversible and requires only a second injection to dissolve the sperm-blocking gel. The method has been in clinical trials in India for several years, and recently U.S. researchers took notice and will start testing it out here.